On YouTube, Zack “JerryRigEverything” is successful with analyzes and tests on smartphones. He also sells cases and skins for cell phones and tablets. A company is now said to have used his designs. He wants to defend himself against this.
How is the situation? YouTuber JerryRigEverything is best known for his review videos about technology, especially smartphones. In collaboration with the accessories manufacturer dbrand, the 35-year-old also has a line of cell phone and tablet cases and skins.
The designs sold under the “Teardown” label depict the interior of the respective devices. The designs consist of high-resolution scans of the hardware. Now JerryRigEverything is accusing the Hong Kong-based manufacturer Casetify of brazenly copying his designs. He wants to take action against this in court.
dbrand itself is also known for feuding with other corporations.
Boss ruined his company in 59 seconds on Twitch – what happened to him?
YouTuber doesn’t want to enrich himself
What are the allegations? In a nearly 14-minute video, JerryRigEverything compares the teardown line to “Inside Out” by Casetify. He explains that it is perfectly fine if the manufacturer took apart cell phones to produce a competing product.
Instead, Casetify did not create the cases based on its own scans, but only used product images of the teardown skins and cases, says JerryRigEverything. As evidence, YouTube cites errors that crept into the manufacturer’s cases:
You can watch the whole video here:
As JerryRigEverything explains, the alleged theft of ideas particularly bothers him because Casetify is not a “small family business”: Casetify is described by the South China Morning Post in a 2017 article as “one of the three largest brands for “Technology Accessories of the World”.
Casetify is said to have sold more than 15 million cases worldwide and made $300 million in sales in 2022 alone (via Lifestyle Asia).
This is how the YouTuber defends himself: JerryRigEverything and dbrand are taking legal action against the brand. The YouTuber explains this by saying: “The best way to teach Casetify a lesson is with a multi-million dollar lawsuit.”
But the YouTuber doesn’t want to get rich with the campaign: It’s clear to him that there is probably no winner in such a procedure. But if, contrary to expectations, he is awarded a payment, the money will flow into his off-road wheelchair project, “The Rig”.
What does Casetify say about the matter? The brand published a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on November 24, 2023: It sees itself as a “bastion of originality” and is currently investigating a copyright allegation. The “Inside Out” product line has already been removed from the website.
At the same time, Casetify refers to a DDoS attack on its website that occurred when the allegations were made. It is unclear how this relates to the copyright allegations.
The best controllers for mobile phones you can buy in 2023